


Love Entombed

by Junemo10



Series: Whumptober 2020 Works [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Buried Alive, Canon Era, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Whump, Whumptober 2020, collapsed building, no.4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26872666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Junemo10/pseuds/Junemo10
Summary: Love can sometimes get buried beneath the heaviness of the world, and recovered in the moments we need it the most.Merlin discovers a young boy attempting to sabotage the wine for the upcoming feast, and attempts to stop him. However, his blind need to protect others gets him trapped in a situation with no way out.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Whumptober 2020 Works [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1955269
Comments: 15
Kudos: 358





	Love Entombed

**Author's Note:**

> NO.4 RUNNING OUT OF TIME: buried alive, collapsed building 
> 
> Fourth submission for Whumptober 2020!  
> This one took me a while to write, but I'm glad I am finally able to post it! 
> 
> Warnings: violence, magic violence, being buried alive, collapsed building, depictions of pain, mentions of blood, descriptions of injuries, descriptions of fear
> 
> Thank you for reading!

“And here is your speech for the feast.” 

Merlin presented the rolled piece of parchment to the prince, his slips curving excitedly. The prince glanced up from the document on his desk, looking at Merlin with an expectant expression before taking the offering and leaning back in his chair to read it. 

“I think you will find it quite pleasant,” Merlin said, peeking over, watching Arthur as he read it. “A perfect speech. Will be enjoyed by all who hear it.” Arthur glanced up at Merlin with an annoyed expression that made him grin. “Wrote it just for your honeyed voice-”

“Alright, I get it, thank you, Merlin.” Merlin gaped. 

“A thank you? Wow, my writing must be good if it earned a thank you,” Merlin teased, taking the silver platter off the table from the prince’s lunch. He glanced back at his friend, noticing the distracted look in his eyes. He paused, sobering up. “Is everything alright?” Arthur broke free of his thoughts and turned to look at his servant tiredly. 

“Yes, sorry. Just a little distracted.” He twisted the ring on his thumb pensively, and Merlin couldn’t help but watch. “Something one of the visiting lords mentioned, about me having big shoes to fill as the king of Camelot.” Merlin frowned and scrunched up his nose. 

“You mean Uther’s shoes? Why on Earth would you wear those?” Arthur snorted, shaking his head at Merlin. Merlin sighed, glancing down before softening his tone. “No, I mean it, Arthur. You shouldn’t worry about what they say. The people of Camelot know the king they are destined to have, and they await you earnestly. You are you, and you will rule the way _you_ decide.” When he looked back at Arthur, the prince was gazing at him with an intensity that made Merlin blush. 

“How will I know if what I decide is right?” 

“You will if you listen to your heart. Knowing from experience, your heart is always in the right direction. I know I’d follow it anywhere.” Merlin watched Arthur’s eyes sparkle, the dazzling blues full of an emotion that Merlin couldn’t quite decipher, but it made his heart race all the same. 

“Thank you, Merlin. That- that means a lot.” Arthur stared at him, and Merlin stared back. Over the years, Merlin had experienced many moments in time that felt as though they lasted forever. The moments he shared with Arthur, _these_ moments, where they would say nothing with their words and everything with their eyes; these were the moments he wished he could never escape. Merlin was the first to break away, giving Arthur a fond smile before picking up the rest of the utensils. 

“Two ‘thank yous’ in one day?” Merlin whistled. “I must be on a roll.” Arthur’s chuckle filled the room, sending a warm feeling through him. He was sure if he checked, the frost would have melted off the windows. “I’ll be right back.”

“Merlin,” Arthur started but paused. Merlin looked back at the prince, tilting his head a little. 

“Yes?”

“Never mind, I’ll...tell you when you get back.” Arthur was blushing now, and Merlin was antsy to know. “Hurry back,” he added. 

Merlin’s heart fluttered in his chest. He smiled, giving Arthur a little nod before turning around and heading to the kitchens to retire the dishware. A happy melody played in his head, and he found himself humming along. When he finally reached the kitchens, he was met with a peculiar sight. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

A boy Merlin had never seen before froze, his hand pausing in movement. Merlin stalked further into the kitchen, glancing around to find it empty of all other servants. When he took another look at the boy, his hands were behind his back, clearly hiding the object Merlin had seen. He tilted his head, raising a scolding eyebrow. 

“You think I didn’t just see you doing something? Who are you, and what are you doing here?” Merlin challenged, taking a step closer. In turn, the dark-haired boy took a hurried step back, right into the glow of the torch on the wall, allowing Merlin to get a look of him. He was clothed in ordinary serving clothes, his dark hair sticking up in a disorderly manner. His green eyes wide and shifty, making Merlin uneasy. He peered over the table, seeing the jugs of wine that a kitchen maid had prepared for the upcoming feast that evening. His eyes flickered back up to the boy’s guilty face. “What were you about to do with that?”

“Nothing, I swear.” He finally spoke, shuffling uncomfortably. Merlin narrowed his eyes. 

“You want to try that again?” 

“I swear it,” the boy stepped back farther, edging around the table, but Merlin was quicker. He lunged and snatched the boy’s arm, pulling it forward. He lifted the boy’s wrist, making the object dangle in front of Merlin’s face. A miniature bottleneck vile glinted in the light, still, thankfully, full of a thick black liquid. 

“You swear it, huh?” Merlin chided. “What the hell is this?” 

The boy opened his mouth to respond, but right at that moment, Merlin caught movement on his right. He turned in time to see two maids pass into the kitchen. Merlin was about to focus his attention back on his catch, when suddenly the butt of a pot slammed into his jaw, making him lose his balance and loosen his grip on the boy’s shirt. The maids screamed and jumped out of the way as the boy took off, darting through the servant’s entrance. 

“Stop him!” Merlin yelled, clutching his face before chasing after. The boy was fast; Merlin had to sprint to keep him in his sights. “Stop!” Merlin’s voice echoed against the stone walls. The corridors were poorly lit, making Merlin blink his eyes, trying to get them to adjust. He suddenly noticed the boy was headed into one of the old, condemned servants’ quarters, climbing over the boxes that were meant to block the doorway and slipping in. 

“Wait! Don’t go in there!” Merlin warned, hesitating at the door. He glanced back, hoping to see some guards or knights racing to his aid, but, unsurprisingly, there was no one else coming; and he didn’t have time to go back for help. He sighed before clambering over the boxes and pushing the door open. 

Cautiously taking a step in, he scanned the room on high alert. The quarters had been condemned due to an explosive fire that had charred the room brutally, leaving it a hazardous area that Uther didn’t care enough about to renovate. Gaius had forewarned Merlin many times to steer clear of it. One wrong touch might bring down the entire sector. 

A noise on Merlin’s right made him start, squinting into the darkness. Immediately, pieces of the stone wall slid off and fell to the ground. Merlin crouched down, grabbing onto the edge of a broken table. 

“It’s not safe in here!” Merlin called to the boy. “Come out with me, and we can talk about this.” Another sound of footfalls responded to Merlin’s plea, and Merlin couldn’t help but wince at the sound of the stones crumbling. “Please! Something might fall and crush one of us!” 

“That’s the plan,” came a venomous voice. Merlin frowned, finally seeing the boy as he crept closer, his arm outstretched. Merlin didn’t have a moment to process what was happening before the boy shouted, his eyes flashing gold as the ceiling above Merlin’s head cracked sickeningly. 

“ _No!_ ” Merlin stretched his arm above his head, his magic forcing the stone back to keep it from falling. 

“You- you have magic?” The juvenile tone in the boy’s voice resurfaced, but Merlin barely heard him, the massive stone continuing to crumble despite his effort. He grunted, sinking to his knees. 

“Please!” Merlin gasped through his clenched jaw, wincing as the boy’s magic gave one last shove. The ceiling collapsed, the pieces of stone tumbling down all at once. Merlin cried out, hunching into the floor, shielding his head against the rampant attack. Slabs of debris tumbled onto his back, and he screamed muffled outcries into the ground at every impact. 

Then it stopped. 

Merlin wheezed, his chest heaving for air. The pain was everywhere, so intense he could taste the bile building in the back of his throat. He tried to move but quickly realized he was stuck, pinned to the floor from all the rubble. He was trapped.

“I’m sorry it had to be this way,” the boy’s voice was distant and grainy. “I never wanted to hurt someone like me.” Though a small gap in the wreckage around him, he could see the boy moving towards a small opening in the wall. “Please forgive me.” And with that, he was gone, leaving Merlin all alone. 

“No!” Merlin bellowed, panic consuming him. “Help! Someone!” He begged, continuing to shout. He screamed until his throat burned, and even still after. Every breath he spent calling, he spent double wheezing and coughing up what tasted like blood. He tried to shove it off with his magic, but his body was too tired, barely shaking the pile. He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately pleading for someone to find him. Merlin was entombed, caged in a nightmare, unable to help himself. He was going to die, and nobody would ever know what happened to him. He would be lost forever. All because-

His eyes opened wide in realization, dread sinking into his stomach. The boy still had the vile, and whatever was in it. He would try again, and Merlin was powerless to stop him. Powerless to save anyone. Powerless to protect Arthur.

“ _Arthur!_ ” He sobbed, wailing the prince’s name over and over again. He had nothing else.

“ _Merlin?_ ” 

The voice surprised him, and he froze, unsure if it was real or if he imagined it. 

“Merlin, where are you?” Gwen’s angelic voice echoed in the room, closer.

“I’m here,” Merlin croaked.

“Merlin!” Gwen cried, falling to her knees beside the small opening Merlin could see out of. She peeked in with a look of horror on her face. “Cassie and another maid told me they saw you get hit by a boy and that you ran down this way! You- you’re-”

“It...was...the boy,” Merlin rasped in labored breaths, his voice barely a whisper. “He has magic. He...trapped me. He was trying...to put something...in wine.” 

“Oh no,” Gwen gasped. “I-” She gently cleared some of the pile off of his head and neck, his arms throbbing in response. Gwen then reached for the large bit on his back, trying to shove it off. It shifted, but only managed to make Merlin cry out. “Sorry, sorry!” She let go. “I- I need to go get help.” Merlin swallowed, trying not to panic. 

“Please...come back,” Merlin mumbled weakly. 

“Oh, Merlin, I will. I promise. Just hang in there.” She pushed herself up and quickly hurried away. Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think about anything other than his pain and fear. He thought of Arthur, who was probably waiting for him in his chambers to prepare him for the feast. He wondered how long it had been, how long he had been trapped down here. It felt like forever, and his body was starting to go numb from the pain. He closed his eyes, tears squeezing out and running down his cheeks.

He must have passed out for a while in a restless sleep because, in the next instant, there was a familiar voice attempting to coax him awake. 

“Come on, Merlin, _please_. Merlin, can you hear me?” Arthur’s voice was frantic and distraught. Those were two adjectives that Merlin rarely, seldom, found himself using to describe Arthur. Arthur, the well put together prince who commands knights into battle. Arthur, his master, who orders him around to no end. Arthur, his friend, who he jokes around with and follows everywhere. Merlin couldn’t remember the last time he had heard this tone in his voice, and he hazily wondered what warranted it now. “ _Merlin_ , open your eyes.”

Merlin lifted the lids of his eyes slightly, and he heard several sighs of relief.

“Good, okay. Just hold on, alright? Gwaine and I are going to get you out of there. We will try to be as gentle as possible.” Arthur stepped back, and Merlin heard a murmured conversation. Merlin’s eyes started to close again, the tiredness in his body pulling him once again. 

Suddenly there was a count of three, and a large slab of stone was lifted off of Merlin’s back. Merlin yelped, his body tensing with pain. 

“Breathe Merlin,” Gwen tried to soothe, her voice a calming presence. He tried, his breaths coming out in short pants. Another weight was lifted off his lower back, and Merlin gritted his teeth to stifle his sounds of pain. After what felt like an eternity, Merlin was dug free of the wreckage, taking strangled gulps of air.

“There you are,” Gwaine’s fond smile appeared in front of Merlin, his eyebrows creased. “I’m so sorry it took us so long to find you.” 

“S’okay,” Merlin mumbled hoarsely, grateful to see his friend’s face. “Arthur?”

“I’m right here,” Arthur was near the top of his head. “Gaius is on his way. We don’t want to move you in case- in case it would cause more damage.” 

“Arthur, the boy,” Merlin’s voice huffed urgently. “He was trying to poison-” 

“Gwen told me. Leon took the knights to find him.” Merlin pressed his lips together and nodded. “Thank you for what you did. You- you saved everyone.” Merlin closed his eyes, preening a little at the compliment, coming from Arthur of all people. His worries were abated, satisfied to know the boy would be dealt with. His adrenaline began to wain, his body begging him to succumb to the exhaustion. 

“Merlin? Merlin, stay awake-” but he was already gone, unable to cling to Arthur’s voice. 

When his mind finally resurfaced from the safety of unconsciousness, he realized he was lying in his bed, shirtless on his stomach. He blinked his eyes open, lifting his head a little, wincing at the bright light streaming from his window. Was it morning already? 

“Merlin?” 

Merlin jumped at the sound, wincing at the immediate pain that shot through his back. He reached behind himself, feeling the bandages that were wrapped all along his back and torso. His arms were wrapped up as well, restricting his movement.

“Don’t touch it, you’ll mess up Gaius’s bandages,” Arthur scolded, gently lifting Merlin’s arm back to his side. “How are you feeling?” Merlin blinked, genuinely uncertain. 

“Fine,” his voice was nearly gone, reduced to a pitiful whisper. He settled, letting his head lay back down, turning so he could look up at Arthur. The prince was sitting in one of the chairs from Gaius’s table, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He was wearing the same red tunic as yesterday, the laces hanging loosely against his chest. On instinct, Merlin felt the need to lace them up to make the prince presentable, but after a moment of staring at the strip of skin peeking out, he decided maybe Arthur should wear it looser more often. “How did I-” 

“You passed out, I- I carried you here. Gaius said it was probably from shock, but-” he swallowed. “You really scared me back there. What possessed you to go running after that boy?” Arthur asked in a vexed tone, making Merlin raise an eyebrow. 

“He ran, what was I supposed to do? Just let him get away?” Merlin asked, grimacing at the metallic taste in his scratchy throat. Arthur seemed to notice, raising a cup of water to Merlin’s lips. He drank appreciatively, relishing the way it relieved his dry throat. 

“You call for the guards, or the knights, or _me_. That’s what you do,” Arthur grumbled, his eyes digging into Merlin’s. “I mean honestly, did you even think? No, you didn’t, because you are a stubborn, foolhardy-”

“Arthur?” Merlin interrupted, a warm feeling growing in his chest. “Were you worried about me?” Arthur paused, staring at Merlin for a moment. He looked like he was going to deny it at first, make a joke. But then something in his eyes changed. That same intense look from the previous night took over, making Merlin’s heart race.

“Don’t you ever put yourself in that position again, you hear me?’ Arthur held up his finger for emphasis before deflating. “If Gwen hadn’t found you...” he trailed off, and Merlin closed his eyes, not wanting to think about it either.

“She did, _you_ did, Arthur. I’m- I’m okay,” his voice broke a little, opening his eyes to meet the sorrow-filled blues. “I’m okay.” Arthur pressed his lips together and nodded. 

“I need you to promise me; I need to hear you say it.” Arthur pleaded, and Merlin frowned. “Promise me you won’t go running into danger alone like that again.” 

“Arthur, I-” Merlin wasn’t sure what to say. He knew what he should say to ease Arthur’s worries, but he also didn’t want to lie. “I can’t promise you that.” Arthur gave him a funny look.

“What do you mean?” Merlin licked his dry lips in thought. 

“I will always do what I have to do,” he struggled to take a deep breath. “To protect you.” There was a moment of stunned silence. Merlin felt the air thicken, and he wasn’t sure what it meant. He was about to add on, to try to explain, when a hand gently cupped his cheek. His eyes flickered to Arthur’s as the prince knelt next to the bed, his face right next to Merlin’s. Merlin tried not to flinch, searched Arthur’s expression for some understanding. His eyes fell on his lips, so close, watching the way they quivered. 

“How can you always be so...” He leaned his forehead against Merlin’s, and the servant closed his eyes, inhaling Arthur’s scent as it started taking up his space. “You.” 

“I-” Merlin mumbled, but Arthur continued. 

“Everything you say, everything you do. Sometimes I wonder how you are even real, how of all people in the world, _I_ am the one that was gifted you.” Merlin was shocked, tears welling up in his eyes at Arthur’s words. Arthur couldn’t actually mean this...could he? “When I saw you trapped under there...when you closed your eyes. I was terrified. The thought of losing you...I can’t bear it, Merlin. I just- I can’t.” Merlin was overwhelmed from it all, all of his emotions running at once, but a single thought rose to his mind instantly, the tone in Arthur’s voice reminding him of the last thing Arthur had said to him the previous day.

_I’ll tell you when you get back._

“Arthur?” Merlin’s voice was a pitch higher, almost coming from somewhere outside his body. “What were you going to tell me yesterday? Before- before.” He felt Arthur inhale sharply, feeling the shakiness of his body by the tremble of his hand still on his skin. Merlin held his breath, waiting, partly fearing what he could have to say that made him react like this. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off once again.

Arthur’s lips pressed tenderly to Merlin’s. It was soft and warm, precious in every sense of the word. It felt like coming home, and he was finally safe. As though the kiss was casting a protection spell around him, healing his painful memories and promising a future of good ones. He didn’t realize he was sobbing until Arthur pulled back concerned, timidly stroking Merlins cheek. 

“Merlin?” Arthur’s voice was laced with worry, but there was a huskiness to it that sent shivers down Merlin’s spine. Merlin didn’t even know how to respond; he couldn’t find the words. So he weakly clutched at Arthur’s tunic and pulled him back in for another kiss, trying to express what he was feeling. Arthur kissed him back, ardently, and it was glorious. 

After a moment, they separated, their foreheads returning to their earlier position, resting as they breathed heavily. Merlin’s chest ached, and his arm was protesting angrily at the sudden use as he released Arthur’s shirt, but he couldn’t seem to care. Arthur’s thumb was brushing away the tears that were still streaming down his face, making him smile. 

“I was trying to find a way to tell you. To tell you that,” Arthur swallowed hard. “I love you.” 

Merlin gave a small gasp, withdrawing to look up into Arthur’s anxious eyes. His smile grew, a joy blooming within him. Upon seeing the servant’s face, the prince’s features softened with an affectionate smile of his own. Merlin wanted to live in this moment forever, to feel this blissful for the rest of his life. To always stay at Arthur’s side, regardless of their ranks. Irrespective of their destinies. 

To be with Arthur until the end of time. 

But he couldn’t say all that, not yet at least. So he settled on giving Arthur the endearing words that he had given Merlin. 

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Sending you love!


End file.
